Solar PV Test Engineer III – Solar Center of Excellence

Application close date:

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!  

As part of a hardworking team of specialists, technicians, and engineers in the Solar Center of Excellence, you will own the environmental and reliability testing that shows how space solar hardware holds up over its mission life. You will test solar cells, coverglass-interconnected cell assemblies (CICs), coupons, solar power modules (SPMs), and their materials in thermal cycling, thermal vacuum (TVAC), atomic oxygen, and UV environments. You will decide what equipment the lab needs, build and qualify the test methods, and turn the data into degradation factors and design margins that designers and analysts use to size arrays.

This is a hands-on role, split between running tests in the lab and analyzing and presenting the results. You do not need a background in solar cell device physics, but you do need to know how to run a stress test well and measure what changed. We are primarily seeking an Engineer III, but are open to exceptional candidates at adjacent career levels whose test, reliability, and lab experience align with the needs of the role.

• →Write test plans and procedures, and run thermal cycling, TVAC, atomic oxygen, and UV tests on cells, CICs, coupons, SPMs, and materials
• →Operate PV characterization equipment, such as external quantum efficiency (EQE), I-V, electroluminescence (EL), and photoluminescence (PL), to determine the impact of each test on cell and product performance
• →Run pull, peel, and shear tests on solder and weld joints, before and after environmental exposure, to set process windows and lot acceptance limits
• →Assess the lab's equipment needs, recommend whether to build, buy, or use an outside lab, and specify, procure, and commission new equipment
• →Design and build test fixtures, instrumentation, and data acquisition, including in-situ temperature and continuity monitoring
• →Qualify test methods (chamber uniformity, UV irradiance, calibration, repeatability, and uncertainty), and set test conditions and acceleration factors from mission environments
• →Plan and witness radiation (proton and electron), atomic oxygen, and vibration test campaigns at outside facilities
• →Analyze test data to find degradation and failure modes, support root cause investigations, and deliver degradation factors and design margins in a form designers and analysts can use directly in power and life predictions
• →Keep test data traceable to sample, build history, test conditions, and calibration, and automate the path from instrument to analysis
• →Present results with clear statistics at design reviews
• →Own safety, calibration, and maintenance for your equipment, and train technicians and engineers to use it

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Materials Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field
• 5+ years of hands-on environmental, reliability, or qualification test experience (or 3+ years with a Master's or Ph.D.) in photovoltaics, semiconductors, electronics, aerospace, or a similar high-reliability industry
• Hands-on experience running thermal cycling, thermal shock, thermal vacuum, or UV tests, from test plan through execution to final report
• Experience designing test fixtures and data acquisition setups, and specifying or commissioning test equipment
• Ability to analyze data in Python, MATLAB, or a similar tool, apply basic statistics, and explain results clearly
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Prior solar or space experience is not required. Candidates from terrestrial PV, semiconductor, electronics reliability, automotive, or aerospace test labs are encouraged to apply.

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in a relevant field
• Experience testing solar cells, CICs, or PV modules (solar simulator I-V, EL imaging), and familiarity with PV qualification standards such as AIAA S-111/S-112, ECSS-E-ST-20-08, or IEC 61215
• Experience with space environmental testing (TVAC, UV, or combined effects) or radiation and vibration campaigns at outside facilities
• Experience with pull, peel, or shear testing of solder and weld joints, and with workmanship standards such as IPC J-STD-001 or NASA-STD-8739.3
• Experience with measurement system analysis (gauge R&R), uncertainty budgets, accelerated life testing, and degradation modeling (Weibull, regression, DOE)
• Experience testing adhesives, encapsulants, coverglass, coatings, or films, and linking material changes to electrical loss
• Experience automating tests and building test databases (Python, LabVIEW, SQL, or similar)
• Experience supporting root cause investigations (8D, 5-Why) and mentoring technicians and engineers

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected: up to 25% peak, 10% average
• Interviews will include a technical assessment

Base Pay Range for:

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.